According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the year 2016 was a particularly deadly one for sworn officers: 135 officers were killed in the United States, with almost half of them, 64, shot to death. That is an astounding 56 percent increase in shooting deaths over 2015.

Of those 64 shot and killed, nearly a third, 21, were targeted and ambushed. That is simply reprehensible.

Peace officers are all we have to protect us from the bad guys. And even the bad guys, like those in organized crime and even punks in street gangs had an unwritten rule to not mess with the police.

But this past year it seems that the lunatics and extremists, perhaps emboldened by the Black Lives Matter protests, actually targeted law enforcement officers. That is utterly disgusting.

We hope in this new year you take a moment, and when you see an officer in uniform, give him or her a kind wave and a “thank you for your service.” We need them – and these days, we bet they’d sure be grateful for your support!